Cong decries denial of club entry to dhoti-clad judge

The Tamil Nadu unit of Congress on Sunday said it was "regrettable" that a High Court judge was denied entry into a club here for wearing dhoti, the state's traditional attire.

"It is not important who went there wearing dhoti, but a rule barring the entry into a club (for a dhoti-clad person) in Tamil Nadu is unacceptable," TNCC president B S Gnanadesikan said in a statement.

It was "regrettable" that the judge was denied entry into the club because he was wearing the traditional attire, he said.

When he alighted from his official car at the club premises to participate in a book release function organised by T S Arunachalam, a former Chief Justice of the High Court, some staff of the club told him that he could not enter the premises wearing a dhoti as they had instructions from office-bearers not to allow anyone in the premises who violated the club's dress code.

The judge has termed the incident as "unfortunate".

Gnanadesikan said if at all there was a dress code for a club, it would not be binding on persons who were not its members and also called for removal of any such existing rules in clubs.